Drinking Coffee, Tea, and Water Throughout the Day May Help You Live Longer

Staying hydrated is key to good health, but new research shows that drinking coffee or tea along with water may offer extra benefits, and this combo could even help you live longer.

Mixing Coffee, Tea, and Water May Help You Live Longer

A new study published in the British Journal of Nutrition found that drinking seven to eight cups a day of water, coffee, and tea was associated with greater longevity.

The study followed 182,770 adults over a median of 13.3 years and used 24-hour diet recalls to measure how much coffee, tea, and water participants drank.

A two-to-three ratio of coffee to tea appeared to offer the most protection, while drinking only coffee or tea provided less benefit than combining both.

While the results are promising, there are some slight limitations to using a 24-hour diet recall, according to Samantha M. Coogan, MS, RDN, director of the didactic program in nutrition and dietetics and senior lecturer at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

For instance, participants may misremember the food and beverages they’ve consumed throughout the day.

It’s also important to keep in mind that the potential health benefits of the coffee and tea in the study are considered an association, not a causation, said Joan Salge Blake, RDN, a dietitian and nutrition professor at Boston University.

Coffee and Tea Still Count Toward Your Daily Hydration

Blake said it is well established that coffee and tea can contribute to daily hydration despite their diuretic effects. While caffeine can cause water loss, the effect is short-lived.

“In other words, the caffeine doesn’t cause a significant loss of body water over the course of a day compared with non-caffeinated beverages,” she added.

Research suggests that people who routinely consume caffeinated beverages can tolerate their diuretic effect better and experience less water loss over time.

Regular Coffee and Tea Drinking May Support Long-Term Health

In addition to providing hydration, consumption of coffee has been associated with a lower risk of many chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, chronic liver disease, certain cancer types, and the overall risk of dying.

Blake said that because coffee comes from a plant source, it also contains healthy phytochemicals and antioxidants, similar to those found in fruits and vegetables. Tea also contains phytochemicals.

“Coffee has certain flavonoids, and tea has more catechins than coffee, so the two can work in synergy to enhance each other’s benefits,” Coogan added.

Add Milk for an Extra Nutrition Boost

Blake said another benefit of drinking coffee and tea is what you can add to it, especially since many Americans do not get enough Vitamin D, calcium, and potassium in their diets.

“Adding low-fat milk to your coffee, especially if you choose a latte, which provides a robust amount of milk per serving, can boost your java or tea with healthy nutrients,” Blake said.